Oak  Street 

UNCLASSIFIED  fNIVERSITY  OF 

suu  iHERN  CALIFORNIA 
BULLETIN 


LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA 
Volume  IX  JANUARY,  1915 


Number  6 


THE  VENICE 

MARINE  BIOLOGICAL  STATION 


. . 


I 


OF  THE 

UNFVFttSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

„ F£B1b15 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA 
BULLETIN 

LOS  ANGELES,  CALIFORNIA 
Volume  IX  JANUARY,  1915  Number  6 


THE  VENICE 

MARINE  BIOLOGICAL  STATION 


Published  Bi-Monthly  by  the  University 
Entered  as  Second  Class  Matter  under  Act  of  Congress,  July  16,  1894 
Los  Angeles,  California 


THE  UNIVERSITY 


COLLEGE  OF  LIBERAL  ARTS— 

Thirty-fifth  Street  and  University  Avenue. 

COLLEGE  OF  PHYSICIANS  AND  SURGEONS— 

516  East  Washington  Street. 

COLLEGE  OF  DENTISTRY— 

Sixteenth  and  Los  Angeles  Streets. 

COLLEGE  OF  LAW— 

Tajo  Building,  First  Street  and  Broadway. 

COLLEGE  OF  THEOLOGY— 

Thirty-fifth  Place  and  Hoover  Street. 

COLLEGE  OF  PHARMACY— 

Thirty-fifth  Street  and  University  Avenue. 

COLLEGE  OF  MUSIC- 

233  South  Broadway. 

COLLEGE  OF  ORATORY— 

Thirty-fifth  Street  and  University  Avenue. 

COLLEGE  OF  FINE  ARTS— 

201  North  Avenue  66. 

THE  MARINE  BIOLOGICAL  STATION— 

Venice,  California. 


SUMMER  SESSION 


The  Summer  Session  of  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts  and  the 
Venice  Marine  Biological  Station  will  be  held  June  28th  to 
August  9th,  1915. 

The  Liberal  Arts  courses  will  be  given  at  the  University, 
the  Marine  Station  courses  at  Venice. 

Special  announcements  of  the  courses  may  be  obtained 
from  the  Registrar  of  the  University. 


OFFICIAL  STAFF 

VENICE  MARINE  BIOLOGICAL  STATION 


ALBERT  B.  ULREY,  A.  M.,  Director . 

SAMUEL  RITTENHOUSE,  PH.  D.,  Associate  Director . 


ADVISORY  COUNCIL 

GEORGE  F.  BOVARD,  A.  M.,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 
President  of  the  University 
EZRA  A.  HEALY,  A.  M.,  D.  D. 

President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University 
ABBOTT  KINNEY 

President  of  the  Abbot  Kinney  Company , Venice , California 
GENERAL  M.  H.  SHERMAN 
Capitalist 

ARTHUR  B.  BENTON 

President  of  the  Southern  California  Academy  of  Sciences 
GEORGE  I.  COCHRAN,  A.  M. 

President  Pacific  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company 
WALTER  LIND  LEY,  M.  D.,  LL,  D. 

President  California  Hospital  Association 


INSTRUCTORS 


GEORGE  F.  BOVARD,  A.  M.,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 
President  of  the  University 
ALBERT  B.  ULREY,  A.  M. 

Professor  of  Zoology 
ANDREW  C.  LIFE,  A.  M. 

Associate  Professor  of  Botany 
SAMUEL  RITTENHOUSE,  PH.  D. 
Associate  Professor  of  Zoology 
LAIRD  J.  STABLER,  M.  S. 
Professor  of  Applied  Chemistry 
LEROY  S.  WEATHERBY,  PH.  D. 
Professor  of  Chemistry 
GILBERT  E.  BAILEY,  PH.  D. 
Professor  of  Geology 


ELMER  HIGGINS 
Instructor  in  Zoology 

MERVIN  E.  OAKES  DORIS  P.  COOMBER 


Laboratory  Assistant  in  Zoology 
J.  ROSS  BECK 
Collector  for  the  Station 


Laboratory  Assistant  in  Botany 
FRANK  W.  YOCOM 
Assistant  Biological  Survey 


THE  VENICE 

MARINE  BIOLOGICAL  STATION* 


Previous  reports  have  dealt  with  the  problems  of  founding 
and  equipping  the  Marine  Station  of  the  University.  In  this 
report  is  indicated  a preliminary  account  of  some  of  the 
results  attained,  referring  particularly  to  the  work  of  the  past 
two  years.  The  fragmentary  character  of  the  results  is  fully 
appreciated  by  the  workers  engaged  in  these  investigations. 
Pioneering,  however,  in  any  enterprise  seldom  produces  re- 
sults which  are,  from  the  beginning,  other  than  incomplete. 

We  have  this  satisfaction  concerning  the  work  in  which  we 
have  been  engaged:  It  has  been  most  helpful  to  the  biological 
work  of  the  University  by  stimulating  an  intense  interest  in 
the  study  of  problems  relating  to  living  things  and  it  has 
afforded  an  opportunity  for  such  study  which  could  scarcely 
have  been  attained  in  any  other  way.  These  results  alone 
would  be  ample  compensation  for  the  effort  and  means  in- 
vested. In  addition  to  this,  however,  we  have  some  small 
contribution  of  first-hand  knowledge  to  offer  and  have  pre- 
pared the  way  for  securing  results  of  much  greater  value. 

Most  of  the  work  has  been  done  by  those  who  were  busily 
engaged  in  other  pursuits.  This  has  necessitated  using  the 
vacation  periods  of  the  college  year  chiefly  for  Marine  Station 
work  and  the  funds  available  did  not  warrant  working  full 
time  then. 

It  would  have  been  impossible  to  accomplish  the  results 
attained  except  for  the  fact  that  we  were  able  to  use  the 
energy  and  enthusiastic  devotion  to  a scientific  goal  found  in 
the  students  and  instructors  of  the  University.  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  with  reference  to  operating  and  caring  for  the 
launch.  No  service  was  too  severe  or  task  too  difficult  for 
these  volunteer  sailors  to  undertake.  The  fact  that  the  launch 
has  sailed  without  mishap  many  times  over  the  sea  from  Point 
Dume  to  Newport  and  out  at  sea  to  Catalina  and  San  Clemente 


*The  matter  here  presented  consists  chiefly  of  extracts  from  reports  of 
the  Director  of  the  Station  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  University. 


Venice  Marine  Biological  Station 


5 


islands  and  has  visited  San  Diego,  Santa  Rosa,  Santa  Cruz, 
and  Santa  Barbara  islands,  speaks  eloquently  for  the  amateur 
seamanship  of  these  men. 

The  list  of  men  to  whom  credit  is  due  for  service  on  the 
launch  is  too  long  to  publish  here  in  full.  The  following  have 
given  special  time  and  service  to  the  work.  The  responsibility 
for  carrying  into  execution  the  work  of  the  Anton  Dohrn  has 
been  borne  by  Percy  S.  Barnhart  and  J.  Ross  Beck  during  the 
period  November,  1912,  to  June,  1914;  since  that  time  by 
Elmer  Higgins  and  J.  Ross  Beck.  Student  assistants  who 
have  given  considerable  time  and  have  rendered  efficient 
service  are:  Walter  Hepner,  Henry  Wheeler,  Ervin  Wahren- 
brock,  Mervin  Oakes,  Frank  Yocom,  Ernest  Trevor  and  Allen 
Hobbs. 

During  the  summer  of  1914  a line  of  dredging  and  trawling 
has  been  completed  which  connects  our  present  north  west 
goal,  viz.,  Point  Dume  with  the  work  done  off  the  coast  at 
Long  Beach.  This  affords  a series  of  hauls  at  most  points 
off  the  coast  for  a distance  of  about  sixty  miles.  In  addition 
we  have  made  further  explorations  in  the  region  about  Catalina 
Island  and  the  launch  has  been  used  in  the  work  of  the  U.  S. 
Fish  Commission  during  an  investigation  of  problems  relating 
to  the  albacore  industry.  The  list  of  sailings  will  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  report. 

The  equipment  of  the  station  has  been  described  in  the 
Station  Bulletins  for  November,  1910,  and  January,  1913. 
During  the  past  year  we  have  added  a new  general  laboratory 
and  office  for  the  advanced  students  at  the  station.  The 
laboratory  has  been  equipped  with  the  necessary  apparatus 
for  carrying  on  this  work.  The  launch  has  been  improved 
by  the  addition  of  numerous  facilities  which  add  to  the  com- 
fort of  the  crew  and  efficiency  of  her  work.  The  most  useful 
equipment  recently  added  was  a centrifugal  pump  with  suit- 
able hose,  two  inches  in  diameter,  for  throwing  a stream  of 
water  to  any  point  on  the  deck.  The  pump  is  located  in  the 
engine  room  and  is  driven  from  the  fly-wheel  of  the  engine 
by  a belt  which  is  readily  removed  when  a stream  of  water  is 
not  needed. 


6 


University  of  Southern  California 


On  long  voyages  there  has  been  constant  difficulty  experi- 
enced in  carrying  living  specimens  in  the  tanks.  This  has 
happily  been  met  by  the  use  of  the  pump  which  provides  a 
constant  stream  of  pure  water.  The  speed  of  the  launch  is 
not  appreciably  effected  by  this  continuous  use  of  the  pump 
and  the  value  to  the  living  material  is  very  great.  The  chief 
use  of  the  pump,  however,  is  found  during  dredging  and 
trawling.  The  hauls  containing  specimens,  mud  and  debris 
are  placed  on  the  series  of  screens.  Here  a careful  application 
of  the  flowing  stream  of  water  separates  the  mud  from  the 
specimens  in  a very  efficient  manner.  The  nets  can  be  freed 
from  adhering  specimens  and  mud,  as  well  as  the  deck  cleared 
after  the  process  is  completed. 

THE  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 

The  field  covered  by  the  survey,  except  the  Catalina  region 
and  shore  collecting,  is  indicated  by  the  Maps,  Plates  I,  II, 
and  III.  The  points  at  which  the  dredge  was  used  are  repre- 
sented by  the  letter  D and  the  trawl  by  T.  The  numeral  fol- 
lowing each  indicates  the  number  of  the  haul  of  the  dredge  or 
trawl  respectively.  The  dredging  and  trawling  was  all  done 
with  the  station  launch,  the  Anton  Dohrn.  A description  of 
the  launch  and  its  equipment  was  published  in  the  Bulletin  of 
the  University  for  January,  1913. 

One  hundred  six  stations  have  been  dredged  and  trawled 
and  a series  of  shore  collections  made  at  points  within 
each  of  the  regions  studied.  Plankton  collecting  has  received 
comparatively  little  attention.  Two  series  comprising  nine- 
teen hauls  have  been  made  with  a Nansen  closing  net  in  the 
deep  water  off  Redondo  Beach  and  another  series  of  twenty- 
four  hauls  with  surface  nets  at  various  points  while  dredging 
and  trawling,  making  a total  of  forty-three  hauls. 

THE  PHYSICAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  REGION  COVERED  BY 
THE  SURVEY 

At  this  time  a mere  outline  of  some  of  the  physical  char- 
acteristics of  the  region  in  which  our  work  was  done  may 
serve  to  make  more  intelligible  certain  conditions  attending 


Venice  Marine  Biological  Station  7 

the  survey.  Our  work  has  been  extended  over  the  region  off 
the  coast  from  Point  Dume  to  Newport  Bay,  a distance  of 
about  sixty  miles,  and  the  region  about  Catalina  Island.  For 
convenience  the  conditions  found  in  the  regions  adjacent  to 
the  coast  line  may  be  considered  in  three  divisions: 

1.  The  Santa  Monica  Bay  region. 

2.  The  region  adjacent  to  the  San  Pedro  hills. 

3.  The  San  Pedro  Bay  region. 

The  Santa  Monica  Bay  region  extends  from  Point  Dume  on 
the  northwest  to  Rocky  Point  on  the  southwest,  a distance  of 
about  thirty-six  nautical  miles.  The  twenty-five  fathom  line 
is  found  less  than  one-fourth  mile  from  shore  at  Point  Dume. 
At  Long  Wharf,  Santa  Monica  and  Venice  it  extends  out 
about  three  and  one-half  miles,  then  gradually  approaches  the 
shore  at  Redondo  Beach,  where  it  is  again  less  than  one- 
fourth  mile  from  shore.  South  of  Redondo  the  twenty-five 
fathom  line  makes  an  abrupt  bend  outward  from  the  shore 
and  continues  to  a point  opposite  Rocky  Point  at  a distance 
of  about  one  mile.  The  fifty  fathom  line  extends  approxi- 
mately parallel  to  that  of  twenty-five  fathoms  to  a point 
opposite  Playa  del  Rey,  where  it  is  found  about  five  and  a 
half  miles  off  shore.  At  this  point  it  curves  outward,  reach- 
ing a distance  of  about  ten  miles  opposite  Manhattan  Beach, 
where  it  bends  shoreward,  extending  almost  at  right  angles 
to  the  shore  until  it  reaches  a point  about  one-half  mile  off 
Redondo  Beach,  whence  it  recedes  from  the  shore  to  a 
distance  of  about  three  and  a half  miles  off  Rocky  Point. 

Two  very  prominent  features  of  the  bay  region  which  are 
shown  by  these  soundings  are  (1)  A broad  sea  bench  about 
five  miles  long  and  four  miles  wide  at  its  base  extends  out 
from  the  fifty  fathom  line  off  Manhattan  Beach.  (2)  A deep 
submarine  canyon  opposite  Redondo  Beach  brings  the  one 
hundred  fathom  line  within  one  and  a half  miles  of  the  shore. 
At  the  head  of  this  canyon  oil  springs  produce  a marked  oily 
condition  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  At  times  the  winds 
and  tides  spread  this  oil  over  an  extensive  area. 

The  coast  from  Point  Dume  to  Santa  Monica  consists  of 
abrupt  bluffs  varying  from  one  hundred  to  three  hundred  feet, 


8 


University  of  Southern  California 


back  of  which  rise  rugged  rocky  hills  one  thousand  feet  in 
height.  In  this  region  the  kelps  are  found  close  to  the  shore. 
The  coast  from  Santa  Monica  to  Playa  del  Rey  consists  of  a 
flat  rather  level  sandy  beach.  Extensive  tide  flats  are  found 
at  Venice  and  Playa  del  Rey.  Rising  from  the  beach  from 
Playa  del  Rey  to  Redondo  Beach  are  found  extensive  sand 
dunes  at  places  reaching  a height  of  two  hundred  feet.  Ap- 
proaching Rocky  Point  the  cliffs  rise  rather  abruptly  from  the 
rocky  beach  to  about  two  hundred  feet  in  height. 

2.  The  San  Pedro  Hills  region  extends  from  Rocky  Point 
on  the  west  to  Point  Fermin  on  the  east,  a distance  of  about 
eleven  nautical  miles.  The  coast  here  is  very  rugged,  con- 
sisting of  a series  of  headlands  rising  abruptly  two  hundred 
feet  and  separated  by  open  coves  with  narrow  sandy  beaches. 
Six  prominent  points  project  into  the  sea  from  this  region, 
viz.,  Rocky  Point,  Point  Vincente,  Long  Point,  Portuguese 
Point,  White’s  Point,  and  Point  Fermin.  The  kelps  abound 
on  this  coast,  extending  out  to  the  ten  fathom  line  at  most 
points  about  a half  mile  from  shore.  At  Portuguese  Point 
the  kelps  are  very  close  to  shore  but  at  Rocky  Point  they  ex- 
tend out  three-fourths  of  a mile  to  the  twenty  fathom  line. 

The  twenty-five  fathom  line  is  found  about  three-fourths  of 
a mile  from  shore  at  Rocky  Point  thence  it  approaches  the 
shore,  at  Long  Point  being  less  than  one-fourth  mile  out.  Off 
Portuguese  Point  the  twenty-five  fathom  line  is  about  three- 
fourths  mile  from  shore.  Thence  it  gradually  recedes  to  a 
distance  of  about  one  and  a fourth  miles  at  Point  Fermin. 

The  fifty  fathom  line  is  found  about  three-fourths  mile  from 
shore  at  Long  Point,  thence  extends  out  gradually  to  a point 
about  two  miles  off  shore  at  Point  Fermin.  The  sea  floor 
drops  off  very  abruptly  from  the  fifty  fathom  line  off  this 
entire  region.  At  Portuguese  Point  a depth  of  two  hundred 
twenty  fathoms  is  reached  two  miles  off  shore  and  three  hun- 
dred fifty  fathoms  at  three  miles. 

3.  The  San  Pedro  Bay  region  extends  from  Point  Fermin 
to  Newport  Bay,  a distance  of  about  twenty-seven  miles.  The 
coast  here  consists  almost  wholly  of  low  sandy  beach.  Inlets 
of  the  sea  have  formed  extensive  tide  flats  at  San  Pedro, 
Alamitos  Bay  and  Anaheim  Landing. 


Venice  Marine  Biological  Station 


9 


The  twenty-five  fathom  line  is  found  about  one-fourth  mile 
from  shore  at  Point  Fermin.  It  extends  out  two  and  a half 
miles  off  Long  Beach,  then  gradually  approaches  the  shore 
to  a point  near  Newport  Bay,  where  it  is  one  mile  out.  Here 
an  abrupt  curve  brings  the  twenty-five  fathom  depth  within 
one-fourth  mile  of  Newport  Beach,  whence  it  again  recedes 
to  a point  about  three-fourths  mile  and  extends  some  distance 
nearly  parallel  to  the  shore. 

The  fifty  fathom  line  is  found  about  twelve  miles  south  of 
Long  Beach,  and  bends  sharply  shoreward,  at  Newport 
Bay  approaching  within  a mile  of  the  coast.  Thence  it  curves 
out  and  parallels  the  coast  at  a distance  of  about  one  and  a 
half  miles. 

In  the  San  Pedro  Bay  region  the  shallow  water  extends  out 
about  twice  as  far  as  that  of  Santa  Monica  Bay.  The  deep 
water  approaching  Newport  Beach  is  roughly  comparable  to 
that  at  Redondo  Beach;  the  one  hundred  fathom  depth  is  con- 
siderably farther  from  shore  at  Newport  Beach. 

METHODS  EMPLOYED  IN  THE  SURVEY 

In  the  work  done  prior  to  this  date  it  has  not  been  feasible 
to  secure  complete  hydrographic  data  concerning  each  of  the 
stations  studied.  We  have  made  some  observations  as  to  depth, 
temperatures,  condition  of  bottom,  currents,  etc.,  and  in  each 
case  a record  was  made  of  this  data.  With  the  facilities  at 
hand,  however,  we  have  not  felt  that  we  could  profitably  at- 
tempt systematic  hydrographic  work  of  a sufficient  degree  of 
accuracy  to  make  it  worth  the  effort  expended.  We  have 
depended  largely  upon  the  data  found  in  the  government  sur- 
veys to  guide  us  in  our  work. 

During  the  following  year  the  departments  of  Physics  and 
Chemistry  of  the  University  may  be  able  to  provide  the 
necessary  workers  and  equipment  to  begin  accurate  hydro- 
graphic  investigations  at  each  station. 

The  location  of  the  stations  at  which  hauls  were  made  in 
some  of  the  earlier  work  was  determined  by  the  use  of  the 
compass  and  the  running  time  of  the  launch  at  full  speed. 
This  was  early  supplemented  by  the  use  of  the  log.  For 


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indicate  depths  in  fathoms. 


Venice  Marine  Biological  Station 


determining  the  location  of  the  major  part  of  the  stations, 
including  all  the  later  once,  the  sextant  has  been  used  at  the 
beginning  and  end  of  the  haul. 

The  time  of  trawling  and  dredging  was  usually  one-half 
hour.  In  some  cases  one  hour  hauls  were  made,  and  in  a few 
instances  a shorter  time  was  used.  The  nets  used  consisted 
of  the  following:  1.  A beam  trawl  of  the  usual  sled  runner 
type  with  a width  of  five  and  a half  feet.  The  frame  was 
constructed  of  galvanized  gas  pipe  which  could  readily  be 
adjusted  to  any  width  desired  or  the  frame  could  be  packed 
in  a small . compass  during  transportation.  When  in  use 
weights  were  added.  2.  The  otter  trawl  had  a stretch  of 
twenty-five  feet  and  a bag  of  thirty  feet.  3.  The  Nansen 
plankton  net  with  the  usual  No.  20  mesh  cloth.  A closing 
device  was  constructed  after  the  type  used  on  the  “Alexander 
Agassiz”  of  the  Scripps  Institute  for  Biological  Research  at 
La  Jolla.  4.  Several  surface  plankton  nets  with  heavy  brass 
rings  were  used.  5.  The  dredge  used  had  a width  of  three 
and  a half  feet.  The  frame  was  constructed  of  solid  iron  rods. 
A cutting  edge  was  placed  at  the  entrance  to  the  net.  An 
open  canvass  bag  protected  the  netting  from  injury. 

A series  of  traps  was  constructed,  one  set  for  deep  water 
consisted  of  the  compartment  type,  others  used  were  those 
ordinarily  employed  for  lobster  fishing. 

The  power  used  for  operating  the  various  nets  consisted 
of  a special  clutch  connecting  the  engine  of  the  launch  with 
the  reel  in  the  engine  room  on  which  the  steel  cable  is  wound. 
By  means  of  sheaves  the  cable  is  carried  out  through  a port 
hole,  to  the  boom,  thence  to  the  net. 

In  the  use  of  the  trawl  or  dredge  the  haul  is  emptied  on  a 
series  of  screen  cradles  on  deck,  the  stream  of  water  from  the 
pump  is  played  over  the  material  in  such  a manner  as  to  aid 
in  separating  the  mud  from  the  animals  and  plants  present. 
The  catch  is  placed  in  suitable  containers  and  appropriate 
labels  added.  In  the  case  of  animals  with  calcareous  shells 
or  others  specially  injured  by  formalin,  eighty  per  cent  alcohol 
is  used  as  a preservative.  In  the  case  of  some  of  the  larger 
animals  or  those  not  seriously  injured  by  it,  ten  per  cent 


THE  AQUARIUM  consists  of  forty  glass  tanl 
storage  tanks  by  an  electric  motor.  In  the 
(indicated  by  the  iron  railing)  twenty-six  by 
lions.  The  Aquarium  is  open  to  the  general  public  < 


/ith  constantly  running  sea  water  pumped  into  large 
ter  of  the  Aquarium  is  found  an  oval  concrete  pool 
elve  feet,  and  ten  feet  deep,  containing  a pair  of  sea 
y from  nine  o’clock  a.m.  to  nine  o’clock  p.m. 


14 


University  of  Southern  California 


formalin  is  used.  The  collections  are  then  brought  to  the 
laboratory  where  the  several  groups  of  animals  are  separated, 
placed  in  suitable  containers  and  accessioned. 

The  log  of  the  launch  preserves  the  original  observations 
made  at  the  time  of  the  haul  and  recorded  then.  The  acces- 
sion cards  facilitate  reference  to  the  data  of  the  log  and  the 
material  on  the  shelves  of  the  laboratory.  The  cards  are 
arranged  in  numerical  order.  Another  series  of  cards  is 
made  on  which  the  name  and  museum  number  of  such  species 
as  are  identified  are  placed.  The  genera  are  arranged  alpha- 
betically. A museum  record  is  arranged  in  numerical  order. 

Some  idea  of  the  routine  work  with  the  launch  may  be 
obtained  from  the  following  extracts  from  Captain  P.  S. 
Barnhart’s  report  on  the  operations  of  the  Anton  Dohrn  for 
1912-1913.  The  trips  were  made  November  29,  and  December 
26,  1912. 

The  work  with  the  Anton  Dohrn  for  the  year  was  begun  on  November 
29,  1912,  during  the  Thanksgiving  recess.  At  this  time  trawling  was 

carried  on  off  Point  Fermin  and  dredging  off  White’s  Point. 

Three  and  half  miles  southeast  of  San  Pedro  Light  the  sea  bottom  shelves 
off  sharply  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms,  making  a slope 
about  a quarter  of  a mile  in  width.  On  this  bank  we  have  found  the  animal 
life  to  be  very  plentiful.  A trawl  of  a half  hour  duration  (see  Trawl  6) 
brought  up  300  starfish  representing  three-  species,  48  sea-urchins,  4 sea- 
cucumbers,  12  brittle-stars,  82  crabs,  11  mollucks,  and  a variety  of  lower 
forms.  At  another  season  the  trawl  came  up  loaded  down  with  the  eggs 
of  a cephalapod  mollusk.  Although  the  weather  was  dark  and  rainy  and 
the  ground  swell  rather  high,  we  managed  to  make  five  hauls  with  the  trawl 
and  six  hauls  with  the  dredge,  in  the  two  days  we  were  out. 

During  the  Christmas  recess  a trip  was  made  to  the  Isthmus  of  Catalina 
Island.  This  trip  was  planned  with  two  purposes  in  view.  First  to  make 
a preliminary  survey  of  the  water  and  shore  lines  on  both  sides  of  the 
Isthmus;  second,  to  gather  living  specimens  for  the  Aquarium. 

We  left  San  Pedro  about  noon  of  December  26  with  a crew  of  four, 
P.  S.  Barnhart,  H.  H.  Wheeler,  J.  Ross  Beck,  and  LeRoy  Barnhart.  The 
run  was  made  to  Venice  for  our  supplies  and  after  taking  them  aboard  the 
course  was  taken  for  Catalina  Harbor  on  the  south  side  of  the  Isthmus, 
which  point  we  reached  at  five  o’clock  the  next  morning,  December  27. 
This  continuous  run  of  over  twenty  hours  was  rather  severe  on  the  crew, 
however  after  sleeping  for  several  hours  and  eating  a hearty  breakfast,  we 
felt  in  first  class  condition  and  proceeded  to  get  the  traps  in  order  and 
collecting  apparatus  together.  In  the  afternoon  the  traps  were  taken  to 
Little  Harbor  and  set  just  outside  the  kelp  line.  Barnhart  and  Beck  went 
ashore  and  made  collections  from  the  tide  line.  It  was  after  dark  when 
anchorage  was  again  made  in  Catalina  Harbor. 

The  next  morning,  December  28,  only  one  specimen  was  found  in  the 
traps.  This  was  a large  “swell  shark”  (Catulus  uter).  Fishing  was  carried 


V enice  Marine  Biological  Station 


15 


on  at  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  with  hand  lines,  without  success.  At  4 
p.  m.  all  hands  went  ashore  for  low  tide  collecting,  two  taking  the  east 
shore  and  the  other  two  the  west. 

The  west  shore  near  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  is  very  rocky  but  well 
protected  from  the  direct  action  of  the  waves.  The  tide  rocks  are  covered 
with  dense  growths  of  sea  weeds,  while  beneath  them  animal  life  is  abundant. 
At  the  high  tide  mark  where  the  rocks  are  somewhat  bare,  black  abalones 
are  plentiful.  Beneath  the  rocks  crustaceans  and  worms  predominate. 
Littorinid  gastropods  are  abundant  everywhere,  especially  so  on  the  rocks 
of  this  shore.  In  an  hour’s,  time  several  jars  of  specimens  had  been  col- 
lected and  as  it  was  thejn.,, growing  dark,  we  went  aboard  the  Anton  Dohrn 
and  ran  into  the  harbor.  After  dark  a lantern  was  lowered  over  the  side 
of  the  launch  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  Several  Portunids,  swimming 
crabs,  attracted  by  the  l,ight,  swam  up  and  clung  to  the  side  of  the  boat 
and  were  taken  with  hand  nets. 

December  29  was  bright  and  clear  and  the  water  was  very  calm.  Barn- 
hart and  Beck  spent  the  morning  rowing  around  the  harbor,  investigating 
the  several  coves,  making  observations  with  the  aid  of  a hand  water-glass. 
Sea-hares  and  sea-cucumbers  are  scattered  over  the  sandy  bottom  of  the 
coves,  while  the  “marine  gardens”  among  the  tide  rocks  and  in  the  rocky 
depths  along  both  shores  near  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  are  not  to  be 
surpassed  in  beauty  by  any  other  “gardens”  around  the  island.  Damsel-, 
wrasse,  and  parrot-fishes  with  their  brilliant  colors,  swim  about  the  rocks 
and  among  the  beautiful  sea-weeds,  while  here  and  there  sea-cucumbers, 
abalones,  giant  key-hole  limpets,  and  sea-hares,  cling  to  the  sides  of  the 
rocks*  The  afternoon  of  the  29th  all  hands  went  across  the  Isthmus  to 
Isthmus  Harbor.  Some  of  the  party  fished  from  the  end  of  the  pier,  and 
others  circled  the  shore  for  low  tide  collections.  Fishes  and  littoral  forms 
seemed  to  be  very  scarce.  A lower  tide  would  give  much  better  results  in 
shore  collecting. 

December  30th  a quantity  of  sea-cucumbers  and  sea-hares  were  killed  and 
preserved  for  future  use  of  laboratory  students.  The  trawling  apparatus 
was  then  put  together  and  three  hauls  taken,  one  at  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor  in  tweAl^-&ven  fathoms,  one  running  due  south  to  forty-three 
fathoms,  and  one  west  by  south  in  forty-three  fathoms.  The  first  two 
yielded  an  assortment  of  echinoderms,  crabs,  mollusks,  and  small  fishes.  In 
the  last  haul  the  trawl  caught  on  the  bottom  just  as  it  was  being  hauled  in, 
bjroke  loose  and.  pulled  up  backward.  The  only  specimens  left  when  it 
reached  the  surface  was  a bunch  of  Molluscoida  or  “lamp-shells.”  The 
wind  and  swell  were  so  high  by  this  time  that  it  was  impossible  to  work. 
The  cable  was  taken  in  and  oiled  and  at  3 :30  p.  m.  we  started  for  Isthmus 
Harbor  on  the  north  side  of  the  island  at  which  place  anchorage  was  made 
at  5 :30  p.  m.  After  dark  hand  lines  were  used  from  the  side  of  the  launch 
and  eighteen  rock  sculpins  were  -caught  in  less  than  one  hour. 

Early  the  next  morning,  December  31st,  we  ran  up  to  a small  cove 
where  the  traps  had  been  set  the  evening  before,  and  took  them  up.  In  one 
was  found  a large  “swell-shark”  and  in  the  other  a medium  sized  lobster. 
Fishing  was  carried  on  until  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  but  only  one 
large  whiting  was  taken.  Schools  of  Chromids  could  be  seen  swimming 
around  the  launch  but  these  little  fishes  will  not  take  a hook  with  ordinary 
bait.  Later  on  a run  was  made  to  Bird  Rock  at  which  place  several  plank- 
ton hauls  were  made  and  we  then  ran  back  to  the  harbor  anchorage.  After 
dark  hand  lines  were  again  used  and  eighty-one  rock  sculpins  caught.  This 


16  University  of  Southern  California 


seemed  a peculiar  thing,  for  the  Anton  Dohrn  was  anchored  over  a smooth, 
sandy  bottom  in  about  thirty  feet  of  clear  water  and  during  the  day  no  fish 
were  seen  anywhere  near  the  launch.  The  sculpins  may  have  been  attracted 
by  the  lights  of  the  boat  or  were  out  in  a nightly  search  for  food. 

New  Year’s  morning  anchorage  was  made  a short  distance  west  of  Isthmus 
Harbor  and  while  three  of  the  crew  were  ashore  collecting  abalones,  Barn- 
hart took  a number  of  plankton  hauls  and  collected  several  species  of  float- 
ing ascidians.  In  the  afternoon  the  six-foot  trawl  was  put  together  and 
three  hauls  made  in  the  main  channel  of  the  west  entrance.  These  were 
not  very  successful  as  the  current  was  swift  owing  to  the  incoming  tide 

and  kept  the  trawl  off  the  bottom.  The  last  haul  the  trawl  caught  and 

came  up  with  the  frame  broken.  At  9 :3 5 p.  m.  we  left  Isthmus  Harbor 
and  arrived  off  Venice  at  4:30  a.  m.,  January  2nd.  The  ground  swell  was 
very  high  and  it  was  impossible  to  make  the  landing,  so  we  had  to  tie  up 
at  the  mooring.  After  waiting  until  3 o’clock  in  the  hope  that  the  swells 
would  abate  somewhat,  we  finally  ran  down  to  Santa  Monica  Pier  and 
landed  two  of  the  crew  who  immediately  went  to  Venice  and  rigged  up 
block  and  tackle  for  the  small  skiff.  After  landing  these  two,  the  launch 
was  run  back  to  its  mooring  off  Venice  and  then  P.  S.  and  LeRoy  Barn- 
hart went  ashore  in  the  skiff,  running  the  breakers  at  the  end  of  the  break- 

water without  mishap. 

The  next  morning,  January  3,  Barnhart  and  Beck  went  out  to  the  Anton 
Dohrn  and  brought  ashore  the  live  abalones  and  other  specimens. 

It  will  be  apparent  that  this  more  or  less  mechanical  part 
of  the  work  has  been  time  consuming.  It  is  equally  evident 
that  the  value  of  any  results  to  be  attained  will  depend  very 
largely  upon  the  painstaking  accuracy  of  this  initial  work.  A 
large  part  of  the  time  we  have  been  able  to  give  to  the  station 
work  has  been  devoted  to  equipping  for  the  survey;  operating 
the  launch  and  caring  for  it;  preserving  the  material  and  mak- 
ing suitable  records.  It  was  deemed  expedient  to  continue 
this  feature  of  the  work  until  we  had  in  a general  way  covered 
the  regions  we  had  planned  to  explore. 

The  identification  of  most  of  the  species  of  animals  and 
plants  in  our  collections  remains  yet  to  be  made.  In  some 
groups  such  as  the  fishes,  and  some  others,  a preliminary  list 
is  well  under  way,  and  other  groups  are  in  the  hands  of 
specialists  for  identification.  This  work  will  again  require 
time  for  completion. 

Supplementing  the  offshore  work  of  the  launch  a somewhat 
detailed  study  of  certain  limited  areas  of  the  shore  fauna  has 
been  undertaken  by  graduate  students  of  the  University. 
These  localities  at  present  are  at  Venice,  Point  Fermin,  and 
Newport  Bay. 


Venice  Marine  Biological  Station  17 

TRIPS  OF  THE  ANTON  DOHRN* 

September,  1912,  to  September,  1914 

24 —  November  29-30,  1912.  Trawling  and  dredging  off  San 

Pedro,  Point  Fermin,  and  White’s  Point. 

25 —  December  26,  1912,  to  January  2,  1913.  Expedition  to 

Catalina  Island.  Trawling,  dredging,  and  general  col- 
lecting carried  on  at  and  around  the  Isthmus. 

26 —  January  15,  1913.  Venice  to  Long  Wharf  to  protect  from 

southeast  storm. 

27 —  January  18,  1913.  Long  wharf  to  Venice  mooring. 

28 —  January  19,  1913.  Venice  to  San  Pedro  to  put  launch  in 

care  of  L.  A.  Motor  Boat  Club  for  the  winter. 

29 —  February  8,  1913.  Faculty  trip  round  San  Pedro  Harbor. 

30 —  February  14-16,  1913.  To  boat  yards  to  paint  and  clean. 

31 —  February  21-22,  1913.  Collecting  trip  around  the  govern- 

ment breakwater,  San  Pedro. 

32 —  March  29  to  April  4,  1913.  Trawling,  dredging,  plankton 

and  general  collecting  from  Alamitos  Bay  to  White’s 
Point. 

33 —  April  12,  1913.  Trial  run  to  Outer  Harbor  and  back. 

34 —  April  26,  1913.  Zoology  class  demonstration  trip. 

35 —  May  11,  1913.  Opening  day  of  the  L.  A.  Motor  Boat  Club. 

Inspection  of  launch  by  U.  S.  Government  officials. 

36 —  May  30,  1913.  Major  students  in  Biology  out  for  demon- 

stration trip. 

37 —  June  10-19,  1913.  San  Pedro  to  Catalina  Island  via  Venice. 

General  collecting  and  plankton  work. 

38 —  July  17,  1913.  San  Pedro  to  Anaheim  Landing  and  return. 

After  Urolophus  halleri. 

39 —  July  18,  1913.  San  Pedro  to  Venice.  To  carry  on  scien- 

tific work  at  Hyperion  and  prepare  for  general  sum- 
mer’s work  in  Santa  Monica  Bay. 

40 —  July  26,  1913.  Venice  to  Hyperion  and  return.  Scientific 

work  at  outfall  sewer.  Demonstration  trip  for  Prof. 
Life  and  class  in  Marine  Botany. 


*The  sailings  prior  to  September,  1912,  are  recorded  in  Vol.  7,  No.  6,  of 
the  Bulletin  of  the  University. 


18 


University  of  Southern  California 


41 —  July  29,  1913.  Trawling  off  Venice. 

42 —  August  2,  1913.  Trawling  off  Venice.  Summer  school 

students  on  board. 

43 —  August  7,  1913.  Trawling  off  Venice. 

44 —  August  8,  1913.  Trawling  off  Venice. 

45 —  August  14,  1913.  To  trawl  in  the  bay  and  to  follow  large 

school  of  fishes. 

46 —  August  15,  1913.  Venice  to  San  Pedro.  For  fuel  and  to 

get  a new  working  boom. 

47 —  August  18-22,  1913.  San  Pedro  to  Catalina  Island  via 

Venice.  Collecting  trip  for  the  Aquarium.  Trawling 
and  collecting  around  Avalon  Bay  and  the  Isthmus. 

48 —  August  22,  1913.  Venice  to  San  Pedro.  To  paint,  repair 

and  lay  by  for  the  season. 

49 —  November  25,  *26,  1913.  San  Pedro  to  Venice  and  return. 

Preparation  for  Catalina  trip. 

50 —  November  27-30,  1913.  San  Pedro  to  Catalina  Island 

chiefly  shore  collecting  at  Isthmus  Cove. 

51 —  December  26,  1913.  Out  from  San  Pedro  trawling  off 

White’s  Point. 

52 —  December  27,  1913.  San  Pedro  to  Portuguese  Bend. 

Trawling  expedition. 

53 —  March  14,  1914.  Trawling  off  Point  Fermin. 

54 —  June  19,  20,  1914.  Trawling  outside  of  San  Pedro  Break- 

water. 

55 —  June  22-26,  1914.  Trawling  and  dredging  near  Portu- 

guese Bend. 

56 —  July  8-8,  1914.  L.  A.  M.  B.  C.,  Wilmington  to  Venice  for 

use  of  Marine  Station  during'  summer  session. 

57 —  July  10,  1914.  Trip  with  summer  school  students  from 

Marine  Biological  Station  to  Long  Wharf  collecting 
in  skiff  from  piles  and  dredging  off  Malibou  Cove. 

58 —  July  11,  1914.  Dredging  off  Santa  Monica  Municipal  Pier. 

59 —  July  25,  1914.  Dredging  off  Point  Dume. 

60 —  August  1,  1914.  Dredging  off  Long  Wharf. 

61 —  August  8,  1914.  Dredging  between  Long  Wharf  and 

Venice. 

62 —  August  11-13,  1914.  Dredging  and  trawling  between 

Venice  and  Rocky  Point. 


V enice  Marine  Biological  Station 


19 


The  following  trips  were  made  in  the  interest  of  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commis- 
sion work.  The  special  investigation  was  conducted  by  Percy  S.  Barnhart 
assisted  by  J.  Ross  Beck. 

63 —  June  30,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Santa  Monica  Bay  and  re- 

turn. 

64 —  July  2,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Catalina  Island  and  return  on 

the  3rd. 

65 —  August  17,  1914.  Venice  to  San  Pedro.  To  prepare  the 

launch  for  government  work. 

66 —  August  21,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Venice.  Marking  albacore 

67 —  August  26,  1914.  From  Venice  to  Point  Dume  and  return. 

Marking  albacore. 

68 —  August  31,  1914.  Venice  to  Wilmington.  Launch  repairs 

69 —  September  5,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Avalon. 

70 —  September  6,  1914.  Avalon,  Catalina  Island  to  Venice. 

71 —  September  12,  1914.  Venice  to  Point  Dume  and  return, 

marking  albacore. 

72 —  September  15,  1914.  Venice  to  Catalina  Harbor. 

73 —  September  16,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  Santa  Barbara 

Island  and  return. 

74 —  September  17,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  San  Pedro. 

75 —  October  6,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Catalina  Harbor. 

76 —  October  7,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  east  end  of  Cle 

mente  Island  and  return. 

77 —  October  8,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  San  Pedro  and  re- 

turn. 

78 —  October  9,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  toward  west  end  of 

San  Clemente  Island  and  return. 

79 —  October  10,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  San  Pedro. 

80 —  October  12,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Smugglers  Cove,  Santa 

Cruz  Island. 

81 —  October  13,  1914.  Smugglers  Cove,  Santa  Cruz  Island, 

to  east  end  Ana  Capa  Island  and  return. 

82 —  October  14,  1914 — Smuggler’s  Cove,  Santa  Cruz  Island,  to 

San  Pedro. 

83 —  October  15,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Catalina  Harbor. 

84 —  October  16,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  middle  of  Outer 

Santa  Barbara  Channel  and  return  to  San  Pedro. 

85 —  October  19,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Catalina  Harbor. 


20 


University  of  Southern  California 


86 —  October  20,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  Point  Dume  and 

Smuggler’s  Cove,  Santa  Cruz  Island. 

87 —  October  22,  1914.  Smuggler’s  Cove,  Santa  Cruz  Island, 

to  San  Pedro. 

88 —  October  30,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Venice  to  take  up  moor- 

ing. 

89 —  October  31,  1914.  Venice  to  San  Pedro. 

90 —  November  4,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  Catalina  Harbor. 

91 —  November  5,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  middle  of  Outer 

Santa  Barbara  Channel  and  return. 

92 —  November  7,  1914.  Catalina  Harbor  to  San  Pedro. 

93 —  November  10,  1914.  San  Pedro  to  San  Diego.  Left  San 

Pedro  5:10  p.  m.  and  arrived  in  San  Diego  Bay  at  7 
a.  m.  on  the  11th. 

94 —  November  12,  1914.  San  Diego  to  North  Coronado  Island 

and  return. 

95 —  November  13,  1914.  San  Diego  to  fishing  banks  12  miles 

southwest  off  Point  Loma  and  return. 

96 —  November  14,  1914.  Same  as  above. 

97 —  November  18,  1914.  Same  as  above. 

98 —  November  20,  1914.  Same  as  above,  and  then  from  the 

fishing  banks  went  north  to  San  Pedro,  arriving  in 
port  at  2 a.  m.  the  21st. 

THE  SUMMER  SESSION  AT  THE  STATION 

During  the  summer  of  1914  a six  weeks’  session  was  held, 
beginning  June  29  and  ending  August  7.  The  work  with  the 
Anton  Dohrn  extended  over  two  weeks  additional.  Twenty- 
three  students  were  enrolled  in  the  courses  offered,  which  con- 
sisted of  General  Zoology,  two  advanced  courses  in  Zoology, 
and  special  investigation  related  to  the  work  of  the  biological 
survey. 

Each  student  was  afforded  an  opportunity  to  join  some  of 
the  expeditions  of  the  launch  and  to  get  acquainted  with  the 
shore  fauna  of  the  adjacent  beaches.  The  series  of  living 
animals  in  the  glass  tanks  of  the  aquarium  afforded  opportu- 
nity to  observe  the  life-habits  of  a wide  range  of  marine 
animals  not  readily  seen  elsewhere. 


Venice  Marine  Biological  Station 


21 


The  group  of  students  present  at  the  summer  session  find 
the  atmosphere  of  investigation  and  exploration  about  them 
conducive  to  a high  degree  of  efficiency  and  pleasure  in  their 
work.  A course  of  general  lectures  on  Marine  Biology,  on 
Evolution,  and  on  the  Albacore  industry,  were  given  during 
the  session.  The  summer  session  for  1915  will  include  a 
larger  number  of  these  general  lectures  than  have  been  given 
before. 

A new  laboratory  and  office  was  generously  provided  for 
the  advanced  students  by  the  Abbot  Kinney  Company. 


NOTES  OF  GENERAL  BIOLOGICAL  INTEREST 

The  Birth  of  the  Young  of  the  California  Sea  Lion, 

Zalophus  californianus,  Lesson, 
in  captivity. 

A pair  of  California  sea  lions,  Zalophus  Californianus  Les- 
son, is  kept  in  the  large  pool  of  the  aquarium  of  the  station. 
The  size  of  the  pool  is  about  twenty-six  by  twelve  feet  and 
ten  feet  deep.  At  the  north  end  there  is  constructed  a ledge 
about  nine  feet  from  the  bottom,  usually  about  five  feet  above 
the  surface  of  the  water.  On  this  ledge  the  seals  rest  when 
not  in  the  water. 

In  this  environment  the  female  gave  birth  to  young,  June 
10,  1914.  No  provision  had  been  made  for  any  special  care 
of  the  young  or  mother,  as  the  attendant  was  unaware  that 
the  female  would  bear  young.  Death  of  the  young  seal 
occurred  almost  immediately.  The  specimen  was  taken  to  a 
taxidermist,  where  it  was  mounted,  and  was  placed  in  the 
museum  of  the  aquarium. 

From  the  mounted  specimen  the  following  data  has  been 
taken : 

Total  length  to  end  of  tail 28^4  inches 

Tail  1J4  inches 

From  tip  to  tip  of  front  flippers  (as 

mounted)  15  inches 

Length  of  hind  flippers 7 inches 

The  general  color  is  gray,  which  shades  into  a very  dark 
color  on  the  flippers.  The  color  of  the  tail  is  much  lighter 


22 


University  of  Southern  California 


than  the  body,  resembling  somewhat  the  tawny  yellow  of  the 
body  of  the  adult. 

A Herd  of  Elephant  Seals,  Macrorhinus  angustirostris,  Gill 

In  an  exhibit  on  the  pier  near  the  aquarium  is  kept  a herd 
of  young  elephant  seals.  They  were  captured  by  Capt.  Chas. 
Davis  off  the  coast  of  Lower  California  at  Guadalupe  Island 
and  brought  to  Venice,  where  they  were  kept  in  a large  tank 
which  was  supplied  with  water  pumped  from  the  canals. 

They  lived  in  excellent  condition  until  last  August,  when 
the  smaller  pair  died,  leaving  two  pairs,  the  oldest  of  which 
is  now  about  two  years.  No  cause  of  the  death  of  the  seals 
could  be  discovered.  The  specimens  were  carefully  examined 
and  later  preserved  by  the  staff  of  the  Los  Angeles  County 
Museum  at  Exposition  Park.  The  largest  bull  is  now  some- 
what over  eight  feet  in  length  and  weighs  probably  about  eight 
hundred  pounds. 

The  Occurrence  of  the  Leatherback  Turtle,  Sphargis  coriacea,  (Linn) 

During  the  summer  of  1914  a specimen  of  this  giant  chelo- 
nian  was  brought  to  Venice.  It  was  preserved  by  Col.  Dan 
Duffy  and  kept  on  exhibition.  It  was  reported  to  have  been 
taken  off  the  coast  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Juan  Capistrano. 

From  the  preserved  specimen  the  following  measurements 
were  made: 

Total  length  from  tip  of  snout  to  end 


of  tail  

6 

ft., 

5 

in, 

Length  of  carapace 

5 

ft. 

Width  of  carapace 

2 

ft., 

10 

in, 

Width  of  front  flippers 

9/2 

in, 

Stretch  of  front  flippers  from 

tip  to  tip. .7 

ft. 

Circumference  of  head 

2 

ft., 

6/2 

in 

The  Occurence  of  Phosphorescent  Organisms  at  the  Beaches 
During  the  Summer  of  1914 

An  unusual  number  of  phosphorescent  protozoa  was  found 
in  the  water  at  Venice  and  adjacent  beaches  during  July  and 
August.  The  color  of  the  water  by  day  was  a deep  reddish 
brown  with  streaks  here  and  there  of  water  apparently  free 
from  organisms.  For  a short  time  the  amount  of  dead  organic 


Venice  Marine  Biological  Station 


23 


matter  was  sufficient  to  produce  a very  noticeable  odor  in  the 
aquarium.  Some  of  the  animals  in  the  tanks  died  from  the 
impurity  of  the  water.  Samples  were  taken  at  intervals  dur- 
ing the  summer  session  and  preserved  for  identification.  A 
report  on  the  species  found  with  notes  on  their  distribution 
will  be  published  at  some  later  time. 

INVESTIGATION  IN  PROGRESS 

The  following  lines  of  investigation  have  recently  been 
undertaken: 

1.  Dr.  Samuel  Rittenhouse  has  begun  an  investigation  of 
the  wood  destroying  animals  found  in  the  Santa  Monica  Bay 
region. 

2.  The  department  of  Chemistry  has  undertaken  the  inves- 
tigation of  some  of  the  chemical  aspects  of  the  marine  algae 
with  reference  to  the  extraction  and  utilization  of  the  salts 
entering  into  their  composition. 

3.  An  Ecological  study  of  the  fauna  of  Point  Fermin. 
Beryl  Rapp. 

4.  The  oyster  problem  of  Southern  California.  Ethel  M. 
Palmer. 

Progress  in  investigations  continued  from  previous  year : 

5.  The  sewage  contamination  of  the  waters  of  the  coast 
adjacent  to  Los  Angeles  has  been  studied  by  Professor  L.  J. 
Stabler  and  E.  A.  Just.  They  have  determined  the  free 
oxygen  content  of  the  water  as  a factor  indicating  the  degree 
of  contamination.  These  studies  were  made  on  the  water  in 
Los  Angeles  harbor,  Hyperion  (the  outfall  of  the  Los  Angeles 
sewer),  at  Venice,  and  Santa  Monica.  Samples  were  taken 
from  the  open  sea  five  miles  off  shore  as  a standard  of  com- 
parison. 

6.  The  study  of  the  relation  of  the  bacteria  in  water  con- 
taminated with  sewage  to  the  free  oxygen  present  in  the  water 
has  been  undertaken  by  Edwin  Hadley  of  the  Venice  Union 
Polytechnic  High  School.  Samples  were  taken  from  Santa 
Monica,  Venice,  Playa  del  Rey,  Hyperion,  and  Los  Angeles 
Harbor. 


24  University  of  Southern  California 

7.  The  study  of  the  sting  ray,  Urolophus  halleri,  by  Pro- 
fessor A.  B.  Ulrey,  has  been  continued.  During  the  past 
three  years  over  two  hundred  embryos  have  been  taken  from 
the  uterus  and  preserved  in  suitable  fixing  solutions.  The 
stages  showing  the  origin  of  the  developing  spine  had  eluded 
us  for  two  seasons  but  our  collections  during  the  summer  of 
1913  provided  not  only  these  desired  stages  but  many  others 
as  well.  Serial  sections  of  the  spine  region  of  twenty-five 
embryos  of  varying  lengths  have  been  made  and  some  of  the 
drawings  completed. 

8.  The  study  of  the  Brachyura  of  the  Santa  Monica  Bay 
region  and  the  Anatomy  and  Life-habits  of  the  Sand  Crab, 
Emerita,  has  been  continued  by  Percy  S.  Barnhart. 

Papers  recently  published: 

9.  A general  statement  of  the  results  of  the  study  of  the 
Abalone  problem  by  Professor  C.  L.  Edwards  has  been  pub- 
lished in  Popular  Science  Monthly  for  June,  1913. 

10.  The  Conservation  of  the  Marine  Algae  by  Professor 
A.  C.  Life  in  the  Bulletin  of  the  Southern  California  Academy 
of  Sciences  for  July,  1914. 

EXPLANATION  OF  PLATES 

The  drawings  were  made  by  Elmer  Higgins  from  the  maps 
of  the  U.  S.  Coast  and  Geodetic  Survey  and  the  data  derived 


from  the  log  of  the  Anton  Dohrn. 

The  trips  of  the  Anton  Dohrn  indicated  on  Plate  I are  as 


follows:  The  small  circles 

indicate  the  observing  stations. 

a. 

Trip  of  June 

21,  1912 

h. 

Trip  of  Oct. 

7, 

1914 

b. 

Trip  of  Aug. 

29,  1912 

i. 

Trip  of  Oct. 

9, 

1914 

c. 

Trip  of  Dec. 

26,  1912 

j- 

Trip  of  Oct. 

12, 

1914 

d. 

Trip  of  Mar. 

30,  1913 

k. 

Trip  of  Oct. 

20, 

1914 

e. 

Trip  of  June 

13,  1913 

1. 

Trip  of  Nov. 

10, 

1914 

f. 

Trip  of  Aug. 

18,  1913 

m 

. Trip  of  Nov. 

12, 

1914 

gr- 

Trip of  Sept.  16,  1914 

n. 

Trip  of  Nov. 

13, 

1914 

o. 

Trip  of 

Nov. 

20,  1914 

in 

Plates  II  and 

III,  D i 

ndicates  a station  at 

which  the 

dredge  was  used,  T the  trawl.  The  numeral  following  indi- 
cates the  number  of  the  dredge  or  trawl  respectively. 


' 

■ :■  ' 


. 


.......  , ..  . . ' .r-.r.L  ■ 


PLATE  I 


PLATE  11 


A 


\ 


( 


Jratata  .rr.-tej 


III  31  V3d 


> 


\ 


